In an emergency situation, finding and monitoring certain physical objects becomes increasingly important. For example, in an earthquake people may be injured increasing the need to find a first aid kit or other piece of emergency equipment. However, the very conditions brought on by the emergency, e.g. dust, debris, smoke, etc., can make finding such objects more difficult. The ability of quickly locating such emergency equipment for use by those present in the emergency, whether by emergency responders, bystanders, or victims of the emergency, may be a matter of life and death.
Additionally, situations may arise in which certain key items, such as a computer containing highly sensitive information or a prototype device under development in a costly research and development program, should be monitored in the event of an emergency. For example, if a fire breaks out in part of a building, there may be time to ensure that irreplaceable items are safely removed from the building.
However, many surveillance and tracking systems can cost tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars to deploy and maintain on a large scale. Accordingly, current systems for locating and monitoring physical objects within a facility are not satisfactory in all respects.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by reference to the following detailed description. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures. However, such repetition of reference numerals to identify similar elements is for ease of explanation and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.